A zoo in Palestine has been blasted after it de-clawed a young lioness so that children can play with it without being scratched.
Handlers at Rafah Zoo in Gaza, Palestine, clipped off the 14-month-old big cat’s claws with shears after putting a shroud over its head.
The lion was also tranquillized and had her claws hacked down even further, according to reports.
Bizarrely the lion still has a full set of very sharp teeth yet the zoo is allowing children to “play” with the predator freely.
The park’s owner Mohammed Jumaa, 53, said he was “trying to reduce the lion’s aggressiveness” so it can be “more friendly” to visitors.
However animal rights campaigners have blasted de-clawing as “cruel” as it subjects animals to “horrific pain”.
But local vet Fayez al-Haddad said that it wasn’t cruel because the zoo “wants to bring smiles to children”.
He said: “The lioness does not lose its innate nature.
“We want to bring smiles and happiness to children, while increasing the number of visitors to the park, which suffers from high expenses.”
But the Four Paws charity say the procedure is horrific and agonising for the lion.
Four Paws say: “For big cats, removing the claws is a particularly vicious procedure which causes long-lasting damage.
“Natural behaviour, such as grabbing food or climbing, is hardly possible without an animal’s claws.
“Since the amputation was not done in a proper vet clinic, the chance of infection is high.”
They explained that removing a lion’s claws is the equivalent to amputating the fingers of a human up to the knuckle.
Currently, 49 animals, including five lions, a hyena, several monkeys, wolves, emus, cats, dogs and exotic birds live in tiny and desolate cages there, Four Paws said.
Since the opening of the zoo, many animals have already died due to rocket attacks and war battles.